Cottage Loaf Bake-off

The cottage loaf is a traditional English bread that has fallen out of favour in recent years. I absolutely adore making them. Despite a bit of a dodgy start, my last few attempts have turned out quite well, and it’s lovely to have such an unusually shaped loaf to serve at dinner.

I’ve met several fellow bread bakers since starting this blog (and converted a couple to the cause) – would any of you be interested in joining me in a cottage loaf bake-off?

By “bake-off”, I don’t mean to imply anything competitive. Rather, I thought it might be fun for us all to bake a cottage loaf or two, and then I’d put pictures up as we go on the Cottage Loaves page. And since it’s not a contest (and there aren’t any prizes – sorry), I won’t bother with rules – just bake your dough of choice in a cottage loaf shape. Then leave a comment here with a link to your photo, or let me know and I’ll email you to get a copy if you don’t have a website to upload them to.

Here are my tips – please chime in if you have any others…

Use a lower hydration dough. This is not the time for a wet 75% dough, as the two halves will fuse into each other when you join them, and you’ll end up with some weird looking spaceship. I use a 60% dough for my sourdough cottage loaves.

Let the two storeys have a second rise until almost doubled, before you put them together and give them a third brief rise as a combined unit.

Look, I know this bit is cheating, but if you can get it right, the oven shelf above can stop the loaf from rising too much and “popping” its top off.

I aim for the top layer to be half the dough weight of the bottom layer. I find this works well. Also, small loaves seem easier to get right than large ones.

Finally, poke a hole all the way through the middle and work the dough outwards with your fingers to try and weld the two layers together. Slash well – I find lots of cuts helps the dough to rise more evenly.

It takes a bit of practice, but don’t give up, because these are heaps of fun to make. After all, if Wallace and Gromit can make them, how hard can it be? (She says, in her best Jeremy Clarkson voice.) And if you’d like a good laugh, have a look at my failed first attempts.

Edit: If you’re after a bread recipe, you might want to try this Pain de Campagne de Cottage Loaf recipe. It uses commercial yeast rather than sourdough and works well in this shape.

Please join in – it’ll be great fun! Let’s bring cottage loaves back into vogue!

Nancy, yes – 60% water to flour weight! The dough should be fairly solid to knead – if it’s light and french-style, it will just ooze together and you won’t get separate storeys. Goodo, this is going to be fun.. :)

I was going to say if the thought of one big cottage loaf is a bit daunting then practise with rolls – I haven’t made a cottage since last summer, so will have to roll up my sleeves and have a go. Did I send you a picture of my mini cottage ever?

Been a bit embroiled with pastry today, chocolate tart and a Raymond Blanc’s maman’s apple custard one too.

Completely off topic: Raymond fell down and broke a leg, and Stirling Moss fell three floors down a lift shaft, what is going on?

but despite all these distractions I think I am finally getting the hang of pastry!

Oh Thanks for the fun idea and the tips. I’m about to begin experimenting with sourdough hot-x-buns, outside of baking my weekly bread order, but I’ll try and make the time to at least try. I’ve never attempted a cottage loaf, or seen one before your great creations!
Craig

Hi Joanna.
Did you know Raymond Blanc had had a stroke some years ago, which leaves his left side tired. His left leg gave out, hence his fall. & his OH is a doctor, so it could have been a lot worse for him.
My husband was listening to the radio in the night when he heard that.

I’m in for the cottage loaf too. I should find time during the coming week.

Brand new cottage loaves are rising in the kitchen – am going to attempt the Elizabeth David method and use a cold oven – whatever the result I will send the pics in and some notes bye ee! I’m doing them without any oil at all, (usually I use some oil somewhere, even if it is only when doing the light kneads ) The dough has been harder to shape and to get to seal at the bottom of the boules – well, we’ll see….

Mix, leave for 10 minutes, knead till smooth. This is a firm dough. If you are using ordinary bread flour you may need a little less water.
No oil when kneading.

Leave to rise for 45 minutes

Scale and shape. I made two loaves of approx 700 grams in weight, traditional proportions of 1/3 top bun to 2/3 bottom bun. So make balls…

Leave balls to rise for about 35 minutes

Then flatten the surfaces you are going to join. Make a sharp cross with a razor blade
in the centre of the bottom bun. Place buns together and ‘bash’ through using thumb and fingers, do not over do it. Place under a big plastic box to rise again for about 15 mins.

Cooked from cold, so put oven on to 230 C (top bottom heat so if using fan then 210 C) Put oven on and put loaves on bottom shelf. My oven takes about 10 minutes to reach 230 C. After half an hour cover the tops with foil, cook for another 10 minutes at 200 C. Take foil off for 5 more minutes. Cool on rack.

Loaves baked very evenly compared to last time I made them ! I will email you the pics for the gallery. x Jo

Jo, how exciting!!! Thank you for taking the time to type this all out. I can’t believe the loaves worked so well in a cold oven – maybe it’s the much more controlled rise since you don’t have the initial oven spring then?

I did it as well- my very first cottage loaves!
I used a sourdough rye dough- and my slashes were rather severe next to the ones on display… but they make me very happy and taste wonderful.
I’m putting them on my blog – I don’t know how to link up but the website is http://www.heidiannie.com. They are rather rustic- maybe not traditional cottage loaves.

Well I had it all planned yesterday around a morning appointment.
A bit pressed for time, I thought I’d make a sourdough cottage loaf in a oner mixing in the food processor for the first time using the dough blade: